Summary

As libraries evolve to meet changing academic and community needs, employing a Library Strategist offers a transformative solution for institutions seeking to remain essential to the communities they serve. A strategist can bridge the gap between current practices and future goals, aligning library operations with institutional priorities while fostering innovation and collaboration. At the same time factors as resistance to change, gaining staff buy-in, and balancing long-term vision with immediate operational needs pose strategic challenges which must be addressed. Learn how for the past two years, Library Strategist Elaine Lasda has helped her library manage change, evaluate trends, and implement new service models while working to create a culture of trust and alignment, moving everyone toward shared goals. Does your library need a strategist? This presentation is sure to provide attendees with a framework and context for considering this new approach to library leadership.

Panelist Bio

 Elaine Lasda is the Library Strategist at the University at Albany Libraries, where she holds the rank of full Librarian. Her role in the Libraries centers around change management, project management, and raising staff and stakeholder engagement. Since 2001 she served a variety of progressively more responsible roles at UAlbany. Elaine is the author of the “Metrics Mashup” column, which appears 3 times per year in the Online Searcher section of Computers in Libraries magazine. She is the creator and editor of a book called The New Metrics: Practical Assessment of Research Impact, published in 2019 and is also the author of several peer-reviewed journals. She received her MLS from the University at Albany and her BA in History from SUNY College at Oswego. She also holds a Master’s-level Certificate of Advanced Study in Data Science from Syracuse University.  When she’s not working, she enjoys planning day trips to quirky roadside attractions, attending concerts and cultural events, and hanging out with her cat, Iggy.